Summer at sea
Photos courtesy of the Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust, Marley Parker and Ophelia Christoph October 24, 2023
91原创 graduate student Ophelia Christoph reflects on summer expedition in the Pacific Ocean
After spending two weeks of her summer mapping the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, graduate student Ophelia Christoph returned to the 91原创 campus with new discoveries and remarkable stories. And to think, the opportunity to spend two weeks of her summer on the Nautilus Ocean Exploration Trust Vessel came close to being lost in her inbox.
鈥淚 remember I got an email from my advisor and this application was kind of buried in it amongst other things,鈥 Christoph said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 too sure what it was, but it seemed interesting, so I decided to apply, and it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life.鈥
Christoph, who studies geological science, knew from a young age she wanted to have a role in helping to save the planet.
At age 3, Christoph watched a movie called FernGully: The Last Rainforest 鈥 a film about a fairy who saves the rainforest from humans destroying it. Christoph recalled that once the movie was done, she turned to her mother and said, 鈥溾楳om, I鈥檓 going to do that.鈥 Ever since then, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to helping the planet,鈥 Christoph said. 鈥淎s I got older, that solidified into more concrete goals.鈥
While completing her undergraduate degree at 91原创, Christoph studied environmental science with a concentration in renewable energy. Christoph remembered the day she walked into her offshore wind course. She knew from that moment on she wanted to work on offshore wind energy.
After taking a couple of years to work post-graduation, she returned to 91原创, where she now works with John Madsen, chair of the Department of Earth Sciences, to explore the sediments off the coast of Delaware to make offshore wind turbine foundation recommendations.
This past summer, Christoph took sail on a , where she worked as a seafloor mapping intern. Throughout the two-week journey, the vessel sailed from British Columbia, Canada, down to Hawaii, using sounds and acoustics to map the seafloor along the way.
While sailing, Christoph worked the night shift. That was a challenging
experience at first, she said, but she ended up being grateful for it, as every time she was working on a shift, the expedition would find exciting things.
New ridges, mountainous areas and different fault lines were among the discoveries of which Christoph played a role. She also enjoyed seeing orcas, whales and flying fish.
鈥淚 was surprised how beautiful being in open water was,鈥 Christoph said. 鈥淭he ocean in the middle of the Pacific was the most beautiful blue I鈥檝e ever seen.鈥
Now returning to Delaware for the fall semester, Christoph reflected on what made the experience so life-changing for her.聽
鈥淚t was a great educational experience learning to work with new technology, but more than that, it was just a great overall experience getting to meet all these amazing people,鈥 she said.
While thinking about the future, Christoph said she would like to become a professor, with hopes of inspiring others to care about the environment with the same love and passion that she does.
Christoph mentioned how grateful she was to have taken the risk of applying for the program, as it resulted in one of her best experiences yet.
鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to apply for something even if you鈥檙e not sure about it because it could be a great, amazing experience,鈥 Christoph said.
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